by Xirtam
Notes: set sometime after EW. Many apologies to Jimmy Buffet for taking him out of the song, but I couldn't figure out a plausible reason for Trowa knowing him. Also I couldn't figure out how he'd be still alive after coloney 199 or whenever this is.
Disclaimer: Don't own Gundam Wing or the characters or anything else. Also don't own, have never met, have nothing to do with Alan Jackson, Jimmy Buffet, or the song It's Five o'clock Somewhere. I like it and them tho'.
"Who's a good boy den? Babe's a good boy, yes he is." Trowa ruffled the mane of the huge lion in front of him before turning his attention to the other cage.
"And so is Benny, isn't he? Hungry, Benny? Want your din-din?" Trowa continued babytalking to his lions as he fed and pampered them.
Quatre had once pointed out to him that he used the same voice on both his lions and their many infant neices and nephews. His response had been a poker-faced, "Doesn't everyone?"
"BARTON!" Trowa's good mood vanished as quickly as Benny's dinner. He'd had it up to his eyeteeth with the Ringmaster lately. The man never stopped giving him grief over the work he did for Preventors.
And it wasn't like he was gone all the time, just now and then. Une always gave assignments to Heero, Wufei, and Duo before calling on him. He still wanted to help people, wanted to preserve the peace he'd fought so hard for, but the circus was first and foremost where he wanted to be. Une had been very understanding, the Ringmaster, not so much.
Trowa waited silently until the Ringmaster appeared around the cage. "Did you remember to feed those lions?"
Inwardly, Trowa answered, No, I decided to let them go hungry before bringing them into the Big Top tonight. Should be fun eh?
Outwardly, Trowa answered, "Yes."
"And the elephants?"
Inwardly - Are big grey animals with a long trunk and an excellent memory. You can fit four in a Volkswagon.
Outwardly - "Fed and bathed, Sir."
"Good, yesterday you forgot them."
Thats right. I forgot about the elephants. Easy things to forget about, elephants.
"I don't think I did Sir."
"hmph." The Ringmaster turned to leave. "Oh and Barton?"
"Yes Sir?"
"Your request to have this weekend off? Denied."
Trowa felt the blood leave his face. Quatre would go totally zero if he didn't get their anniversary off.
"Sir, I'm entitled to three weeks vacation and I haven't taken that for ages, if ever. All I'm asking for is this weekend."
"As I see it, you've had far more than three weeks already this year."
Trowa took a deep breath and imagined banging his head on the lion's cage in frustration. Or the Ringmaster's head. "Any time I haven't been with the circus I've been on assignment for Preventors. You know that. Lady Une spoke to you herself."
The Ringmaster snorted, "Preventors! Don't know what they need a clown for anyway. Livens up the office I guess. I don't care about Preventors, I need my clown here."
"There are some missions that require my skills," Trowa said stiffly.
"Skills? What skills? You ain't got no skills except ones I drummed into you. Don't care what you did in the past, or during the war. You're just my clown now and a clown's all you're good for."
He stomped off leave Trowa alone with the lions.
Trowa reached out slowly, petting the two great cats. They looked up at him, dark eyes full of intelligence, understanding and a desire to eat the Ringmaster.
Trowa sang softly to them,
The sun is hot and that old clock is movin' slow
An' so am I.
Work day passes like molasses in wintertime
But its July.
I'm getting paid by the hour and older by the minute,
My boss just pushed me over the limit,
I'd like to call him something but,
I think I'll just call it a day.
Trowa left the lions and headed for the tent that served as canteen and bar to the circus family. Stepping inside he waved at Lou behind the counter as well as the various people lounging around, and kept singing.
Pour me something tall and strong,
Make it a Hurricane before I go insane.
It's only half-past twelve but I don't care
It's five o'clock somewhere.
The performers and others in the tent gaped in astonishment. True, he'd gotten friendlier, and more open since the destruction of his gundam, but this was very not Trowa like.
Trowa flopped in a seat and put his feet up, accepting a drink from Carl the Strongman.
Oh, this lunchbreak is gonna take all afternoon,
an' half the night.
Tomorrow morning, I know there'll be hell to pay,
Hey, but that's alright.
My Jamaican vacation is gonna start right here
I haven't had a day off in over a year
If the phones for me
You can tell 'em I just sailed away.
Pour me something tall and strong,
Make it a Hurricane, before I go insane.
It's only half past twelve, but I don't care
It's five o'clock somewhere.
On his third drink now, Trowa left the tent, with most everyone following him, and stopped near his trailer.
I could pay off my tab, pour myself in a cab,
An' be back to work before two.
At a moment like this, I can't help but wonder
What would Duo Maxwell do?
Duo steps out of Trowa's trailer.
(Duo)
Funny you should ask that Tro, cause I'd say...
Pour me something tall and strong
Make it a Hurricane before I go insane
It's only half past twelve but I don't care
Its five o'clock somewhere.
Pour me something tall and strong,
Make it a Hurricane before I go insane.
Its only half past twelve, but I don't care
(Trowa)
he don't care
(Duo)
I don't care
(Both)
Its five o'clock somewhere.
Grinning at each other, Duo pulled Trowa's packed suitcase out of the trailer for him. The two pilots headed down the road a bit and stopped apparently waiting for something. Noticing most of the circus people behind them they kept vollying back and forth to each other.
Duo looked around, pretending to be puzzled. "What time zone am I on? What country am I in?"
Trowa passed him his drink. "It doesn't matter, its five o'clock somewhere."
"Its always on five in Margaritaville, come to think of it."
"Yeah, I heard that."
"You've been there, haven't you?"
"Yessir"
"I've seen Quat's boat there."
I've been to Margaritaville a few times."
"Alright. That's good."
"Stumbled all the way back."
"Ok, just wanna make sure you can keep it between the navigational beacons."
"Bring the booze I tell you."
"All right. well, its five o'clock. Lets go somewhere."
"I'm ready crank it up."
"Lets get out of here."
"I'm gone."
Lets get out of here."
Even as Duo spoke a lime green Thunderbird convertible with '50s style "wings" and lots of chrome roared up beside them. Written across the side in pink paint was *MARGARITAVILLE BOUND!* Trowa's circus family cheered as Heero and Quatre reached out and yanked the other two into the car. Wufei stomped on the gas, spewing dust, dirt and gravel all over the Ringmaster. They raced off with Trowa calling back, "See ya in three weeks!"
The lions names are from the Legends of Paul Bunyan. He had a big blue ox named Babe, also lesser well known is he found another big blue ox and named it Benny. Babe is more a BeyBey kinda thing. Paul Bunyan spoke french.
Xirtam <-- fount of useless trivia.